After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World

Outside the cloud.

Garan’s sharp eyes watched his team handle the mob, prepared to make a move should he be needed.

”Wind users, start!” He uttered.

On cue, the wind users surrounded the mobs roughly corralled by the team. Their arms extended, making waving motions as they manipulated the wind around the mob, solidifying the corral.

The fire users ignited their arms, throwing their attacks into the wind, burning many of the monsters inside.

A cacophony of growls of different monsters echoed, and they decided not to prolong the monsters’ sufferings.

”Now!” Garan ordered. On signal, a dozen elementalists bombarded the monsters, taking a life every few shots, leaving the last kill to whoever by luck.

Soon, another team came in, with another small wild mob following behind them.

The team continued to train, almost desperately, and slowly they grew stronger day by day.

As he watched his soldiers train and fight harder than before, Garan couldn’t help but look at the cloud again, heart filled with longing for his beloved.

Garan couldn’t help but recall the events a few days prior, many hours after his desperate attempts to get inside.

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—A few days ago—.

Garan did not know how many times he tried. Until, finally, he stayed for more than a minute.

After going back and forth, he had felt that the cloud was truly something that protected what was inside.

During that time, the sense of urgency that hit him had already subsided.

’Was Althea alright now?’ Garan remembered thinking, hope slowly replacing the despair.

Since they were children, he and his wife had had a nearly telepathic connection. At the time, he had a feeling that she was truly out of danger.

It was also at that point that he also understood that what he was doing was pointless.

He felt that there was something else he should be doing—or rather, preparing.

Memories of their first arrival came to mind. The suffering, the deaths, and the losses.

Then the knowledge of the strength discrepancy between territories… how powerless they were when they first arrived in a town, how they could only clench their fist after being bullied and looked down on.

He could still remember he was spat on by a mercenary, just because the man’s girlfriend looked at him.

They were fortunate that senseless bullying of people far inferior in level was looked down on here. This was likely caused by the rules of the territory wars and the 5-level gap effect—as well as pride in strength—otherwise, there would have been far fewer survivors than the score of them.

The number of times he’d have been killed simply because women looked at him in admiration would’ve been countless.

In any case: Strength was always the answer.

His cerulean eyes stayed on the cloud, looking at it deeply. If it truly was the manifestation of the so-called Protection Period, then it would be a double-edged sword.

While having low-level monsters was relatively safe, there was also a downside: The surviving people inside would be much, much, weaker than those outside.

It could even be said that things may be worse for them after a while, because their expectations of what was truly dangerous had been heavily discounted.

Undoubtedly, a lot of people would die after the so-called Protection Period was lifted. Other than for Althea, they also had a duty to protect human beings in their own way.

It wouldn’t be as before, but they would definitely do what they could.

His team finally realized that his mood had changed, and approached him warily.

In the past few hours, the rest of the team had arrived in worry. He did not have the mind to pay attention to them at the time.

When he had sufficiently calmed down, he had looked at them deeply, pausing a bit at his gaffe.

He had no regrets however, because if the feeling of dread did not subside, he had no doubt he’d have forced his way in regardless of the cost.

He had closed his eyes and heaved a sigh, taking a moment to gather himself.

He has opened his deep blue orbs with a determined light in his eyes. That time, he turned and looked at the people still waiting for him.

”Soldiers.” He had said, calm, his stance filled with his characteristic gravitas, and the soldiers couldn’t help but be taken aback.

If they hadn’t been here for hours, they’d have thought they had imagined his desperate appearance a couple of minutes prior.

”Hear my orders,” his baritone voice was full of command.

At his voice, they instinctively strengthened their spines, waiting for the order.

”I have come to the realization that there are plenty more ways we can do while we wait for our loved ones.” He had told them, his baritone voice reverberating amongst the open space.

”You were all with me, we know what it felt like to have no power in this world, how difficult the life was.”

The soldiers had nodded in response, fists clenched in emotion as they recalled the tragic memories, though their eyes on him all throughout.

”Assist me to build up our forces on this side, strengthen yourselves…

”…So we can properly protect our loved ones once this cloud no longer do so.”

A renewed goal lit up the fire in them. They raised their hands to salute.

”YES, CAPTAIN!”

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And now, at present, Garan looked at his team desperately training—even more than before—because now they had true and palpable hope of reuniting with their loved ones.

”Boom!”

”Yes! Finally leveled up!!!” Luis yelled, letting several embers spark around him. He had finally gotten past level 10.

”Me too!”

The men laughed at each other, feeling their growths, excited to meet with their families and possibly show off.

A small smile graced his lips, and he walked away heading to another place to train.

”Don’t worry Althea,” he mused, tone now much calmer than it was. ”I will protect you well this time.”